New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet (ACC) on Tuesday approved the appointment of senior bureaucrat Vikram Dev Dutt as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Ltd. 


A 1993-batch IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, Dutt's appointment is as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Central government. 


He has been appointed as the Air India chief in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said. 


Before this, Dutt was appointed as Principal Secretary for the Delhi government's Health department in June 2020. However, the IAS officer was transferred as Principal Secretary of the Services department in March 2021.


Meanwhile, it is being reported that Air India's takeover by Tata Group, under the government's divestment programme, might get delayed by a month.


In October last year, government declared Tata Sons' subsidiary Talace as the highest bidder for national carrier Air India under the divestment process.


Under the agreement, Tata Sons will own 100 per cent equity shares of Air India and Air India Express along with its 50 per cent stake in ground-handling company AISATS.


Tata Sons had quoted an enterprise value of Rs 18,000 crore for 100 per cent equity shareholding of the Centre in Air India along with that of Air India Express and AISATS.